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Queens plans for visit to the Republic of Ireland

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LE

The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, is to go on a four-day state visit to the Republic of Ireland on 17 May, Buckingham Palace has said.
The tour, announced last month, will include a ceremony in Dublin's Garden of Remembrance and a visit to the Taoiseach at Government Buildings.
The Queen will also make a speech at a state dinner at Dublin Castle.
It is the first state visit to the Irish Republic by a British monarch since independence.
King George V was the last reigning monarch to visit the country in 1911 when it was then part of the UK.
'Historic visit'
The Queen was invited to Ireland by the Republic's President, Mary McAleese, who will formally welcome the monarch at her home in Dublin's Phoenix Park, the Aras an Uachtarain.
The trip will combine visits to historically significant sites with tourist attractions.
The BBC's royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said the most notably symbolic event was the ceremony at the Garden of Remembrance, where all those who gave their lives in the cause of Irish freedom and stood against the Crown are commemorated.
He said it was not known whether the Queen would lay a wreath.
In Dublin, the Queen will attend events at Trinity College Dublin, the National War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge and at Croke Park stadium.
The ground is the home of Gaelic football where, in 1920 during the Irish War of Independence, British forces fired into the crowd at a football match, killing 14 spectators and players.
The Gaelic Athletic Association pledged to give the Queen a warm welcome to the 82,000-seater stadium.
"We are confident this historic visit to Croke Park will be welcomed by those who play, administer and support our games, at home and abroad, including of course throughout Britain," the organisation said.
There are also plans for the Queen and the duke to visit the Irish National Stud in Kildare, as well as Cashel, in County Tipperary, home to the popular tourist destination of the Rock of Cashel, and Cork.
Tight security
The British ambassador in Ireland will host an event celebrating the monarch's return visit.
Security on the trip is expected to be tight, particularly in light of the recent murder of Constable Ronan Kerr in Northern Ireland.
The BBC's Ireland correspondent Mark Simpson has called the state visit a "watershed moment" in British-Irish relations.
The war of independence and use of the British army in the Troubles in Northern Ireland strained relations between the UK and the Irish Republic for much of the 20th Century.
The Queen also suffered personal loss when an IRA bomb blast killed her cousin Lord Louis Mountbatten on his boat in Ireland in 1979.
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said the party was "aware of the offence the visit will cause to many Irish citizens".
"Sinn Fein wants to see the normalisation of relationships between our two nations and republicans have been in the leadership of this process, but that can only be based on mutual respect and equality and on the ending of the partition of Ireland," he added.
Separately, Clarence House has announced Prince Charles is to make a short official visit to the US, also in May.
He will travel to Washington, where he will meet US President Barack Obama at the White House.
He will also give a keynote speech at a conference on sustainable agriculture at the city's Georgetown University and attend an event to support British and US armed forces deployed overseas.

LE

LE

It's not as if he's incapable of typing for himself. But I get the feeling he is somewhat bewildered by the fact that instead of going to the garden of remem where there's a memorial for those killed fighting in British Uniform. Liz and Phil get to the garden (and it is really nice) where it is a memorial to those killed fighting those in British Uniform.
There's a subtle difference here.

Does seem very odd that she would visit a memorial to those who were killed trying/succeeding in the killing of British and Irish soldiers, policemen and civilians who were doing their duty to her Grandad.

LE

It's not as if he's incapable of typing for himself. But I get the feeling he is somewhat bewildered by the fact that instead of going to the garden of remem where there's a memorial for those killed fighting in British Uniform. Liz and Phil get to the garden (and it is really nice) where it is a memorial to those killed fighting those in British Uniform.
There's a subtle difference here.

There is, but the boyners as they cue for the McOutrage bus are selective with their quoting

" The historic nature of the visit is emphasied by the fact that the British monarch will also lay a wreath at the National War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge, Dublin, a site dedicated to the 49,400 Irish soldiers who lost their lives in the first World War. "

GCM

It's not as if he's incapable of typing for himself. But I get the feeling he is somewhat bewildered by the fact that instead of going to the garden of remem where there's a memorial for those killed fighting in British Uniform. Liz and Phil get to the garden (and it is really nice) where it is a memorial to those killed fighting those in British Uniform.
There's a subtle difference here.

LE

There is, but the boyners as they cue for the McOutrage bus are selective with their quoting

" The historic nature of the visit is emphasied by the fact that the British monarch will also lay a wreath at the National War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge, Dublin, a site dedicated to the 49,400 Irish soldiers who lost their lives in the first World War. "

I know the difference between, one memorial garden at Islandbridge(I've laid a wreath at it, with members of the Dublin Fusiliers assosiation), which houses a book containing the names of the dead from the 36th Ulster Division and a memorial garden, that remembers those who killed British soldiers during rebellious uprisings.

Still strikes me as looking for trouble her stopping for even a cuppa at such a politically divisive place, when theres plenty of other beautiful places in Ireland for her to go that wouldn't risk offending people.

GCM

Still strikes me as looking for trouble her stopping for even a cuppa at such a politically divisive place, when theres plenty of other beautiful places in Ireland for her to go that wouldn't risk offending people.

LE

Still strikes me as looking for trouble her stopping for even a cuppa at such a politically divisive place, when theres plenty of other beautiful places in Ireland for her to go that wouldn't risk offending people.

Well, if you step of the McOutrage Bus for minute, you'd find that it's protocol for visiting Heads of State to pay their respects at the Garden of Remembrance which is what the Queen is doing, just having a quick look and ticking the box. The wreath laying with be at the National War Memorial Gardens in Dublin.

LE

Well, if you step of the McOutrage Bus for minute, you'd find that it's protocol for visiting Heads of State to pay their respects at the Garden of Remembrance which is what the Queen is doing, just having a quick look and ticking the box. The wreath laying with be at the National War Memorial Gardens in Dublin.

Only my opinion, but **** protocol, she shouldn't be going anywhere near that garden. Theres one at Arbour Hill she could go to as well then, thats were the Easter Rising traitors are actually buried.

Or why doesn't the cockhead who drew up the itineriary for the visit, arrange for her to visit the Garden of rememberence on the Falls Rd where, 2nd Batt PIRA commemerate those other volunteers who murdered British soldiers during another period of fighting to gain Irish freedom.

LE

Well, if you step of the McOutrage Bus for minute, you'd find that it's protocol for visiting Heads of State to pay their respects at the Garden of Remembrance which is what the Queen is doing, just having a quick look and ticking the box. The wreath laying with be at the National War Memorial Gardens in Dublin.

Wasn't aware I was on the outrage bus, was merely suggesting that the politically neutral British Head of State might want to avoid ticking a box that celebrates those who murdered British/Irish loyalists and which is likely to offend a substantial number of her citizens. I'm sure the Irish would understand that although other Heads of State are happy to visit the site it might not be appropriate for the Queen to do it for the previous reason.

LE

I know the difference between, one memorial garden at Islandbridge(I've laid a wreath at it, with members of the Dublin Fusiliers assosiation), which houses a book containing the names of the dead from the 36th Ulster Division and a memorial garden, that remembers those who killed British soldiers during rebellious uprisings.

Very good, you'll find the names of my maternal Great Grandfather and his son there too, they were both killed at 3rd Ypres. You won't find the names of my paternal Great Grandfather and his son there mind, they were ships Captains and lost at sea when their ships were sunk in the Channel by U boats while carrying supplies to France. Of course, both my Grandfathers survived and were somewhat less than best pleased at not getting Independence having lost all their fathers and brothers fighting for the British.

The Boyner is strong in this one! So what about the survivors of the trenches in WWI who fought for Independence and some of whom are remembered at the Memorial Garden? Hate to break this to you, but Ireland is not Britain, despite Boyner protestations - did you see what I did there? ;=P

What next? No member of the Royal Family should be allowed to visit Culloden as the wicked Scots 'killed British soldiers during rebellious uprisings' ?

LE

Wasn't aware I was on the outrage bus, was merely suggesting that the politically neutral British Head of State might want to avoid ticking a box that celebrates those who murdered British/Irish loyalists and which is likely to offend a substantial number of her citizens. I'm sure the Irish would understand that although other Heads of State are happy to visit the site it might not be appropriate for the Queen to do it for the previous reason.

LE

Only my opinion, but **** protocol, she shouldn't be going anywhere near that garden. Theres one at Arbour Hill she could go to as well then, thats were the Easter Rising traitors are actually buried.

Or why doesn't the cockhead who drew up the itineriary for the visit, arrange for her to visit the Garden of rememberence on the Falls Rd where, 2nd Batt PIRA commemerate those other volunteers who murdered British soldiers during another period of fighting to gain Irish freedom.